An old friend of mine lives in a hut in the woods of Western Mass. No electricity, beautiful woods, etc. His girlfriend's parents have a farm with some excess chickens, and he's invited me up to slaughter a rooster at the hut. (Side-note: neither of us has done this before, so any tips are welcome).

Needless to say, the occasion calls for special attention to the wine selection. The chicken will be cooked over an open fire, likely flavored only with salt. I'd like something different from the usual chicken complements. "Rustic" is probably the key word here. "Earthy" might be another. Can't do anything on the delicate or subtle side--this wine is likely to be consumed from slighty dirty plastic cups. High alcohol is no barrier for this chicken dish, as we may well need something strong to get over any feelings of disgust/dismay/guilt we may encounter. Price: under $15. Remember the dirty plastic cups.

I'd be delighted by some creative suggestions, inspired as much by the spirit of the occasion as the actual food pairing.

Suggest a funky Burgundy to drink while doing the "funky chicken" dance. Problem is, I personally go more for the elegant Burgundies so don't have a funky one to specify. Maybe Roberto can make a recommendation. He likes the earthy, barnyard reds and can come down in price from a Burgundy.

In keeping with the "primitive" aspects of this event, how 'bout a Primitivo from Italy. A Mano makes one at about $10, and it qualifies as rustic and not subtle. Still a nice wine. Others may think it a bit much for simply roasted bird, however. Being a vegetarian, I wouldn't know [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

Primitivo--a good suggestion. I like the examples I've tried, and my friends will enjoy the name, certainly. Half the battle, right there. It won't have the earthiness of some of the others suggestions, though . . . (By the way, my friend is vegetarian too. He says he'll eat this particular chicken, however. I hope it don't kill him.)

Neal Rosenthal--where's his shop? Or what's it called?

IK--I'm not familiar with the varieties you mentioned. Could you elaborate? I have a couple good shops I go to. The best is Nancy's, where Willie Gluckstern is the buyer. They specialize in German wines, but have many other good things, too.

When you've killed it and gutted it, dunk it in a washtub of scalding hot water to looser the pin feathers. Then pull ALL of the feathers off and cut off the feet and head (if you didn't cut its head off in killing it). Get a good oak fire going, burn it down to a bed of coals while you're committing mayhem on the bird, and season the carcass with a dry rub consisting of equal parts white pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and Lawry's Seasoned Salt. Butterfly the carcass by cutting through the breastbone and lay thw whole thing on a grill about six inches above the hot coals. (Use large rocks to support the grll at the proper height.) Cook it until you begin to see blood emerge on the upper surface of the carcass, wait a couple of minutes, then turn it over with a pair of tongs. Do the same on that side - cook it until you see juices emerge on the upper surface. At that point, cut into the breast with a sharp knife clear to the bone, and look for blood at the bottom of the cut. If none is visible, the bird is done. If you see blood, put it back on the grill, so that the darker side is up. Cook it for another five minutes, then take it off and repeat the test - cut into another part of the breast and look for blood. It should be done at that point. For a wine, look for a Cline Syrah from California (about $8.50), or a cheap Pinot Noir like Maison Nicolas from France (available at Sam's for about $7).

Then be a good Smokey Bear and pour water all over your bed of coals. Stir 'em up, and pour more water on them. Then bury them under wet soil. Make sure no coals are left glowing. You may need several gallons of water for that chore.

Real men bite the head off of the chicken, smear their bodies with the blood, run naked through the woods, then consume copious amounts of Hungarian Bull's Blood wine. At least that is how WW related it to me......

Tell your veggie friend that the latest comparative DNA research shows that chickens may LOOK like they are related to birds but are actually so stupid that they are in fact an ambulatory species of rutabega or parsnip and hence kosher for vegans....

Yeah, me too, Buckster. I remember my granddad slingin' 'em 'til their heads snapped off and bounced off the barn wall; then he'd set 'em down and laugh like hell while they ran around the barnyard headless. That made quite an impression on a 5-6 year-old.

I recalled that sight during the Benning experience; used a hard chop to the base of the skull to kill it, then plucked, then ripped out the insides. Sure would have been nice to have been able to use a knife and a fire.....neither was allowed. You do what you've gotta do....Fortunately, as Roberto said, they're some mighty dumb critters.